(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, the exchange of heat between solids.
(2) Brief Description of the Prior Art
In many chemical processes, it is necessary to conserve the heat applied to (or generated by) the process to enable the processes to be effected efficiently and economically. To conserve the heat, it must be exchanged between the reacted products and the reactive components of the processes.
The most general method of exchanging the heat between solids is to mix the solids to enable the exchange to occur. This method has two major disadvantages. Firstly, when the exchange has occurred, the solids must be physically separated. Secondly, the temperature of the mixture is always less than the temperature of the hotter of the two solids. For example, if equal quantities of reacted product at 500.degree. C. are mixed with reactive components at 100.degree. C., the temperature of the mixture will be approximately 300.degree. C. (i.e. the mean of the two temperatures).